The benefits of outplacement

Outplacement is where a company reducing its workforce offers those employees affected the benefit of an outplacement course to educate them on the recruitment process and jobs market

While tough times call for tough measures at least there are some positive things an employer can do for a valued employee they are forced to let go

Print

Print

Advisor

Since 2003 Excel Recruitment has been providing outplacement services to our clients in and outside of the retail Industry.

For those who are unfamiliar, outplacement is where a company reducing its workforce offers those employees affected the benefit of an outplacement course to educate them on the recruitment process and jobs market.

Unfortunately, since May 2008 our outplacement requests have increased dramatically and this has become a part of our day-to-day business.

Benefits of outplacement

For an employer, outplacement offers employees going through rationalisation a lifeline in terms of navigating the current very challenging employment market. By offering outplacement, the employer is offering a very fair and caring exit from an organisation.

This ensures continued productivity and helps maintain a realistic but positive atmosphere in an organisation going through change. Not only do employees leaving the company benefit from comprehensive job placement training, but those who remain know they are working for a fair and equitable employer.

If redundancy or rationalisation is handled badly, you can bet that when the recession ends, staff will have formed an opinion about you and your company and they will be running out the door at the first opportunity.

What does an outplacement course offer?

1 Dealing with change. Outplacement starts by coaching candidates in dealing with change. We look at where they are now, examine what are the changes taking place in their industry, and also deal with coming to terms with leaving what may be a long term employer and saying goodbye.

2 Curriculum Vitae. We identify their skills, experience, roles, responsibilities, achievements, and explore their career history to build a professional curriculum vitae and cover letter. This is their job seeking tool and route to interview.

3 Psychometrics and personality profiling. An important part of the interview process, profiling allows candidates to explore their behavioural and personality traits in a work context. This can be a highly uplifting tool and helps identify key skills in a candidate.

4 Interview preparation. Interview preparation is all about educating candidates on the interview process and common interview types.

We also provide a guide to competency-based interviews, assessment centres and aptitude tests. In sum, this segment includes:

• Educating candidates about the interview process  
• Interview types
• Common interview questions
• A guide to competency-based interviewing
• Body language
• Dealing with nerves
• Assessment centres
• Preparation routine

5 Career and job search. One of the most important parts of our course is exploring the mechanics of job seeking. This includes:

• Viewing job seeking as a full time role
• Current and future industry trends
• Agency management
• Jobs board management
• Networking (effective networking techniques)
• Speculative approach: When ‘no’ means ‘no’
• Direct applications: Standing out from the crowd
• Advertising media

6 Career diagnostics. Career diagnostics is the self-reflection process in which we examine 14 career statements. Half of these address how the candidate sees his/herself in the current role and half relate to how they view their employer. Each statement is aligned with core competencies, leading to an in-depth examination of career and role suitability. The purpose of the questions is to see how much alignment there is between them and their employer/job and their enjoyment/success in the same.

7 Financial planning. This means preparing for the reality of redundancy; prioritising debt, preparing a household budget and managing fixed and variable costs.

Outplacement has become a much more worthwhile course to deliver. The reality is that today’s market, although challenging for the job-seeker, still has opportunities for employment and if job seekers are prepared, they are far better equipped to find that elusive role.

Barry Whelan is managing director of Excel Recruitment Ltd
For information contact Aislinn Lea on 01 8148747

Related Articles

A love letter to the grocery retail industry →

Why use a recruitment agency? →

‘Where is the government’s support for the retail industry?’ →

Tackling those dreaded ‘killer questions’ in an interview →